


Candy Girl

by CelticHeartedFanfic



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Bad Flirting, F/M, Flirting, Rumbelle Showdown 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6538144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticHeartedFanfic/pseuds/CelticHeartedFanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was my submission for the first round of the Rumbelle Showdown 2016 on Tumblr, under the screen name 'Goblet of Doctoberfest'.  Prompts were:  Wooden floors, toffee, precious.  This was a one-shot prompt contest limited to less than 1500 words.  </p><p>Summary:  Mr. Gold is annoyed by the long lines outside of his shop that are keeping customers from him, and wants to know what is behind all the fuss.  Turns out a new candy shop has opened down the street and the owner is giving out free samples.  </p><p>Please note that this idea came to me from the prompt, and I had NO idea that a fic of the same title and with a similar premise existed, and only found out due to the TEA Awards, so no copy infringement was intended.  This is a one shot and will NOT be a continuing verse.  Enjoy and thank you to anyone who voted for this one!</p><p>Also I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Candy Girl

Mr. Gold stood behind the counter in his pawn shop watching the line of people on the sidewalk in front of his door.  It never seemed to end; every time people moved forward, more people showed up in the line.  It was a Saturday around noon, and it was the busiest time of the day for him, and a few weeks before Valentine’s day, one of his busiest seasons – yet no one entered his shop.  He assumed it was because of the line of people in front of his door; young, old, male, female – it seemed like every person in town was in that line.  When the door finally opened, he looked up to see his teenage son, Bae, entering the shop, eating a piece of candy. 

“Where have you been?  You know that this is a busy day for me, you were supposed to be here by eleven,” Gold scolded the boy.

“Sorry, Papa – my friends and I were in line and we just had to go back, it’s so good!”

“Ah, yes, the line – what, may I ask, is at the end of this line that is cluttering the space in front of my shop?”

“The new candy store a block over.  It just opened today; they’re giving free samples, something different every hour all day.  It’s really good!”

“Candy store?  That’s what’s keeping people out of my shop?” 

“I got a coupon too – if we come back next week, it’s buy one get one free,” Bae mumbled, his mouth full of candy, as he waved the coupon in front of his father.  Gold grabbed the paper out of the boy’s hand. 

“Stay here, Bae.  I’ll be right back.”  Gold stormed out of the shop and headed down the sidewalk toward the front of the line, shoving people aside with his cane as he did so.  Several people yelled at him, but he paid them no mind.  When he reached the front of the line, Gold shoved his way into the door, as the people waiting there complained and cursed him.  “Excuse me, but your little free sample spree is disrupting business for my --” Gold left his sentence unfinished when the woman behind the counter turned around.  She was a petite brunette with deep blue eyes, and she was beautiful.  She smiled at him politely as she looked up at him.

“I’m sorry, is there something wrong?” she asked.  Gold hesitated for a moment, then regained his composure. 

“Yes, there’s something wrong.  There’s a line in front of my shop and its blocking my doorway.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry; I tried to get to all of the shops on the street yesterday to let them know what I’d be doing, I must have missed yours,” she said apologetically.  “This is just for today, you can have a free box of candy, whatever you like.”

“You can keep your precious candy, just get the line OUT of the way of my property!” Gold shouted at her, and he turned around and stormed out of the shop. 

* * *

 

Several hours later, the line continued; there seemed to be no end in sight.  “That’s it, I’m calling the police,” Gold said, and he reached for the phone, but Bae stopped him.

“Papa, please don’t; enough people hate you in this town as it is.”

“Well, if they didn’t all owe me money, maybe they’d like me better.  I think I’ll have to find out who owns the lease on that bloody candy store, I may be interested in purchasing it.”  Bae just rolled his eyes at him when the door to his shop opened.  It was the girl from the candy store, and she was carrying a small box in her hand.  Gold had his back turned to her when she spoke up.

“Excuse me – are you Mr. Gold?” she asked.

“Yes, I am, what can I --” once again, her beauty stopped him mid-sentence. 

“I’m sorry about the line, I really am.  I did forget to come to your shop yesterday, it was my mistake.  I asked my friend Ruby to mind the store for a bit so that I could deliver this to you personally.  Here.”  She handed him the box.  “I’m Belle, by the way.  Belle French.”  Gold just stared at the box.  “Well, go on – try it.  Everything’s made in the store, family recipes.”  Gold opened the box and picked out a piece of toffee, and slipped it into his mouth.  “The toffee is my favorite, too.  My mum used to make it all the time.” 

“Thank you,” Bae said, since his father said nothing to the woman.  “I’m Bae – and this is my Papa.” 

“You’ve been in several times, haven’t you?  I hope your parents don’t mind you having so much candy.”

“It’s just me and Papa; my mom is gone,” Bae said.

“Oh – I’m sorry.”

“She’s not dead, she just – she left us,” Bae told her. 

“Bae, why don’t you go in the back and finish your work,” Gold said, finally speaking up. 

“Yes, Papa.”  Bae marched off into the back room.

“So – what do you think?” Belle asked. 

“It’s good.  Bit expensive though, don’t you think?”

“My prices are very fair, I did a survey of confectioneries within seventy-five miles and mine are comparable if not a bit less,” Belle informed him.  “So – you sell antiques?”

“Among other things.”  Belle glanced at a tea set and picked up a teacup with blue trim and admired it.  “Of course this shop is nothing more than a front for my illegal smuggling ring,” Gold remarked, and Belle dropped the teacup onto the wooden floor.  “That was a quip,” he said, and Belle, embarrassed, bent down to pick up the teacup.  “I had simply presumed that you heard a bit about me being the town monster, so --”

“It’s – it’s chipped.  You can barely see it,” Belle said as she handed the teacup to him.  “I’m really sorry – you can bring me a bill for the cup, I’ll pay for it.  Anyhow, I – I hope you like the candy, I’m sorry we got started on such a bad note.”  Belle left the shop in haste, and Gold stood there with the teacup in his hand, staring at it for several minutes.

* * *

Later that afternoon, after her shop had closed, Belle looked up from the counter to see Mr. Gold knocking on her door.  Belle walked to the door and let him in.  “Thought I’d wait until all of the customers left,” Gold said as he entered.

“You um – did you bring me a bill for that teacup?”

“Don’t worry about it.  It’s just a cup,” Gold said. 

“Ruby’s grandmother told me you’d probably charge me triple what it was worth.”

“Ah yes, Mrs. Lucas.  She and I have a rather long and complicated history.  I assure you though – you owe me nothing in the way of money for that teacup.” 

“I – I don’t?” Belle asked, surprised. 

“No, you do not.  But for the inconvenience you caused my shop today, as well as the mishap with the teacup – I would say that, at the very least – you owe me a favor.” 

“A – a favor?  What kind of favor?” Belle asked nervously. 

“Dinner.  Tomorrow night.  With me and my boy.” 

“Are – are you asking me out on a date?”

“I’m asking you to have dinner.  You call it whatever you like.”  Gold handed her a piece of paper.  “Here is my address.  Shall we say seven o’clock then?”

“I don’t even know your first name!”

“Tell you what – you have dinner with me and my boy tomorrow, and I’ll tell you my name,” Gold offered.  Belle smirked at him. 

“Alright,” Belle said, and Gold looked at her with surprise. 

“You – you actually will be there?”

“Well, I really don’t have anything else to do tomorrow evening.  If this is what you want in exchange for all the trouble I’ve caused you today, well – how can I say no?”  Gold blushed nervously.

“Yes, well – see you tomorrow then.  Good night,” Gold said, and he left the shop.  Belle watched as he walked down the street.  Mr. Gold certainly wasn’t what several of the people in town said he was.  They told her he was a monster – a beast.  She thought he was handsome, and very sweet.  A bit awkward perhaps, and he obviously had no clue how to flirt, if that was what he was doing, and she was certain that was what he was doing, in addition to the fact that he was likely trying to apologize for being grumpy without actually apologizing out loud.  No, this Mr. Gold person certainly wasn’t what she thought he would be.  And for that, she was glad.  Tomorrow was going to be an interesting night. 


End file.
